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Dialogue Books has landed The Shoulders We Stand On, the “stunning history of how Black and brown people fought for change in the UK" by Preeti Dhillon.
Publisher Sharmaine Lovegrove acquired UK & Commonwealth rights from Abi Fellows at The Good Literary Agency. Editorial director Maisie Lawrence will work editorially with Dhillon while Lovegrove is on parental leave. Publication is planned for 2023.
Dhillon is a researcher, historian and author who aims to illuminate the stories of those hidden from the mainstream narrative. She has written for organisations such as Shout Out UK and The Rights Collective as well as being independent research fellow for the Women’s History Network from 2021 to 2022.
Dialogue Books said: "The Shoulders We Stand On tells the story of 10 movements, campaigns and organisations led by Black and brown people from the Sixties to the Eighties that fought against racism and capitalism, impacting the way we live now. These include the Indian Workers’ Association, the strike at Grunwick, the trials of the Mangrove Nine and the Battle of Brick Lane." The publisher described it as a “hopeful and insightful social history that has strong resonances with events today", dubbing it a " “stunning history of how Black and brown people fought for change in the UK".
Lawrence commented: “Histories of minority communities, particularly around our activism, are too often only told in the margins. Dhillon’s wonderful achievement in The Shoulders We Stand On is to place these stories front and centre where they belong, so we can learn from those who went before. Understanding the history of protest movements led by Black and brown people in the United Kingdom is something we should all crave. As an activist imprint, this book couldn’t be more perfect for Dialogue and I’m thrilled and delighted to work with Dhillon on her book.”
Dhillon added: “Many of us feel hopeless right now but there is a long history of collective action from our communities that we can draw strength from, if only we knew the stories. The Shoulders We Stand On tells those stories. They help me understand the UK as it is today and inspire me about what we can achieve together, and I hope readers feel the same way. I am thrilled to work with Dialogue Books to put this crucial history where it belongs.”
Fellows added: “I recognised the importance of these little-told histories from my first conversation with Preeti, who tells them with such accessibility and vitality. Dialogue is the perfect home."